When the financial markets are in flux, as we saw earlier in this month, the good old standby of liquid commodities such as gold and silver rise as investors fear devaluation of paper currency. This amounts to scooping up large quantities of gold and silver. Subsequently removing and hoarding it against any financial instability. Recently, the Asian markets have felt jittery with the economic slowdown in China and the result has been scooping up gold and silver from the marketplace.

Can there be a real shortage of gold and silver? Chris Marchese suggests not, at the same time recognizing that supply and demand are not the only factors that comes into play in his article “The Gold and Silver Shortage?”

What does this mean to the fashionista?

Expect to pay more for jewelry made of these precious materials and jewelers and designers to use less and less of the real stuff and more of the gold/silver “embraced™ bronze.” In essence a coating to give the appearance of solid gold or silver.

MarkdownMom’smajor rule for shopping is to never pay retail , if you can help it. Rachael Ray and her friend, Gretta, expands on this rule by exposing retail secrets to find the best bargains when shopping in stores.

Rule 1: Don’t Fall for Staging Tricks.

Rule 2: Buy One Get One Free (BOGO)is Not Always a Steal

Rule 3: Learn the Retail Rules

Rule 4: Watch for Cross-Merchandising Tricks

Rule 5: Just Because it’s in a Locked Case Doesn’t Mean it’s Expensive

KP duty in days gone by usually meant peeling potatoes–a relatively labor intensive, boring job. Now you can buy electric peelers designed to peel potatoes automatically. Some version of this has been around roughly since the 80’s, and unfortunately the expectations exceeded the reality. You are still better off using the old fashion peeler. But with so many on the market, how do you choose?

MarkdownMom likes the OXOGood Grips Pro Swivel Peeler. An item rated high by users and, what MDM especially likes features replaceable blades (sold separately) making it possible to just replace the blade when it becomes dull. Priced at $12.99 at Amazon. Black only.

A second choice you might want to consider is the Messermiester Pro-Touch Red Serrated Swivel Peeler ideal for soft skin fruit and vegetables. Stainless steel blade. Consumers report it makes light work of peeling tomatoes, carrots, parsnips and even squash. Comes with a clip-on blade guard. Best price $8.47at Amazon. Best Consumer Rated.

A much beloved actress and icon for real women, Melissa McCarthy has now become a designer as well. One retailer she has joined forces with is Lane Bryantand this Labor Dayyou can purchase her latest offerings at 40%off using promo code: HAVEFFUNLB on regular and sale merchandise!

One example is this fringe long cardigan for Fall. This style segues from Summer into Fall and adds the hot fringe so popular this season. Reg.$118, on sale $70.80. Colors are rose quartz and medium heather grey. Sizes 1X-3X. Plus earn real women dollars $25 for every $50 earned toward future purchases. Ship to local LB Store for free!

MarkdownMom says if you haven’t visited Lane Bryant recently, you really owe it to yourself as they have some really hot, young, styles!

Okay, we have all had it happened–suddenly we get an inspiration to bake, rare though it is, and unless you have a professional pantry like Martha Stewart or specifically planned to bake a particular item and you bought everything ahead of time at the grocery store–like we’re all so-o-o organized, right? You may be out of a particular item–say powdered sugar or super fine sugar. But don’t dismay if you have regular granulated sugar.

Both Martha and about food suggest using granulated sugar and processing it with a metal blade for 5 minutes–use more than recipe calls for because some will turn into powder–and process for 5 minutes.

Without and need powder sugar? Rachael says do same thing, but longer. Choosing Voluntary Simplicity suggests using a blender for better results since it breaks down the sugar crystals easier and in less time.

Selection of end-of-season merchandise is a major impetus for bargain hunters to shop the LaborDaySales. It’s true that 20% offwill give rise to larger discounts in the ensuing months leading up to Black Friday, but fewer choices will also be available. If you are grilling this weekend–and who isn’t? You may want to check out grills especially if your grill is experiencing that ‘ole shipyard rust–a nice industrial decor look, but not great if you have it flaking on your burgers!

Check out the freebies that Regina Conway, consumer expert with Slick Deals, mentioned on ABC’s GMAfor this weekend. They include food deals and even free AAA towing in certain states if the old clunker gives up the ghost. MDMsuggests if that happens have them tow it to a car dealership offering Cash for Clunkers.

After LaborDay, there won’t be another super sale day by retailers en masse until Black Friday. So, in between hot dogs, football, and get-togethers, take time out to ferret out the bargains online. You will be surprise what you can find. MarkdownMom found an extra 20%offat Bloomingdale’susing promo code BIG20, that added to a third markdown on clearance resulted in up to 70% off on many items you can wear now and next year from popular designers like Ralph Lauren, Mynt, Heidi Klum, DKNY, and other favorites For instance, this kimono sweater by Ralph Lauren was orig.$150 with 20% offis now $46.80and if you are a Loyalist Member, shipping is free. Comes in sizes XS-XL, multi, made out of cotton, linen, and acrylic.

It’s finally here ! You can make your own pre-prototype right at home. MakerBot Replicator Mini Replicator3D printer. An early version last year had glitches that supposedly were dealt with in its’ latest version. It still remains small and is fairly slow–on the plus size is its’ ease of set-up and the user’s ability to monitor its’ printing progress.

MarkdownMom found prices ranged from a low of $600 on Ebay to a high of $1400. Still a rather expensive novelty–you may want to wait for technology to catch up to its’ potential.

Once in awhile, an issue comes along of such gravity, that it demands our utmost attention and immediate call to arms, and for me this one hits close to home. MarkdownMomasks that you read the following post and act as quickly as possible:

30,000 people die from influenza in the U.S. and they call it a pandemic.30,000 people die from ALS and they call it an orphan disease.

Feeling good about the ALS Bucket Challenge? Well, you should—-and you shouldn’t. That historic amount raised for ALS is greatly needed money for research, but it doesn’t go into treatment. Patients must fight everyday to live, struggling each day to hang on, waiting, hoping… For some eating, speaking, even breathing on your own becomes a luxury. Quality medical care, necessary to remain alive while the cure or any significant treatment goes through the scientific hoops of clinical trials, becomes impossible to find, to coordinate, and in the case of Cheryl Sweeney, downright dangerous (see previous post).

The disease progresses very fast at times and patients soon find that they are in a medical subclass, too advanced to participate in potential life-saving clinical trials—-for them, it is denied. Cheryl Sweeney, like other ALS patients, finds herself in such a situation. The struggle plays upon her mind, the cost of finding qualified care, the problems of scheduling care 24 hours around-the-clock, the stress and toll on family members, feelings of dependency, and the limitations of her body—all creating a sense of despair that can be seen in her eyes and in the limited conveyance of words by her on a computer.

She is one of many in the U.S. and around the world in this position. Some are doing better, like Stephen Hawking whose celebrity makes available resources that most with this disease do not have access to; some are doing worse in countries where medical resources and equipment are more limited than in the U.S.

But what good are advanced and sophisticated medical equipment, breakthroughs in medical research, and the most talented physicians and researchers if you don’t have access to them?

However, Cheryl does have something as powerful—a loving family and loyal friends who won’t give up on her and other ALS patients facing this predicament . And now there is real hope, there is the means for inclusion and extension of a breakthrough medical treatment for her and other ALS late stage patients from stem cell treatment with NurOwn(tm) by Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics. However, because she and others are late stage ALS patients, this is not an option. So close and, yet so far.

But, through the social media, you can help them to gain expanded access to this life-saving treatment. You can support her and others like her by signing the petition to include them in this new treatment at change.org. When could you with just a click, taking only a second, possibly save so many lives?